Discover Eden Walk Booklets

Discover Eden - it's an accessible paradise!

All fourteen booklets are now available.

More information about work done on the Discover Eden project can be found on Discover Eden, generously grant aided by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Cumbria Waste Management Environment Trust.

More information about the area and its wildlife can be found from Eden Rivers Trust.

Bronze panels

On these upgraded routes you will find a series of small bronze panels etched with motifs by the artist Pip Hall. There are six on each route depicting aspects of human and natural heritage and rubbings can be taken from them using paper and crayons so that eventually a collection can be made of 84 images.

A bronze-rubbing pack cotaining instructions, 30 sheets of paper and a wax stick is available price price £1.50

An Accessible Paradise

To enhance your enjoyment of the Eden catchment area, a collection of poetry, creative prose and lino-print images celebrating the river Eden and its tributaries and the landscape surrounding them has been published, price £7.99

This little book features some of the best writers, past and present, whose work has been inspired by this landscape. The linocut prints are by Pip Hall and relate to the etched bronze panels which feature along the routes.

'An Accessible Paradise' can be purchased from ECCP click here.

To preview the book click here

Discover Eden walk booklets

Follow Eden's rivers

The Discover Eden routes are located all over east Cumbria reflecting the spectacular diversity of the Eden catchment landscape which covers an area of 2200 square kilometres.
This catchment area extends from the Lake District fells of Skiddaw and Helvellyn and the two major lakes of Ullswater and Haweswater in the west to the Scottish border in the north, the western slopes of the Pennines in the East and the Yorkshire Dales in the south.

Full colour guide booklets for each route provide you with clear directions and information about the things you will see as you go along.

All fourteen routes have been completed and are now available, price £2.00, from Tourist Information Centres or East Cumbria Countryside Project.

Following the full list of walk booklets are details about each route with a pdf (1 - 1.7 Mb) of the guide. This can be viewed online or downloaded.

•  Mallerstang, Wildboar Fell and Pendragon Castle

•  Kirkby Stephen, Ewbank Scar and the Nine Standards

•  Ravenstonedale and Smardale

•  Church Brough, Great Musgrave and Brough Sowerby

•  Appleby-in-Westmorland, Hoff and Great Ormside

•  Crosby Ravensworth and Maulds Meaburn

•  Shap and Rosgill

•  Brougham and Eamont Bridge

•  Lacy's Caves and Long Meg

•  Wetheral and Cotehill

•  Gelt Woods and Greenwell

•  Carlisle and Wreay following the River Petteril

•  Holme Head and Dalston following the River Caldew

•  Carlisle to Rockcliffe following the River Eden

Mallerstang, Wildboar Fell and Pendragon Castle

This walk takes you along an ancient green highway with mountains, an iconic sculpture, a deep gorge, a waterfall, the Settle/Carlisle railway, and the infant river Eden

Brief route details:
Parking: limited, in layby just after The Thrang
Length: nearly 6 miles (9 kms), 4 - 5 hours
Grade: moderate to strenuous with some uphill walking with boggy ground and stiles

Pendragon Castle and the tiny village of Outhgill can be visited by car before or after you do your walk.

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Kirkby Stephen, Ewbank Scar and the Nine Standards

This walk takes you from the bustling market town of Kirkby Stephen with a small cathedral, a Viking god and exotic parrots through wild woods to a towering limestone cliff and nine mysterious cairns

Brief route details for main route:
Parking: free car park, Silver Street, Kirkby Stephen
Length: nearly 5 miles (7.5 kms), 2 - 4 hours
Grade moderate, some stiles and hills, some steep slopes and muddy surfaces

A longer walk with Nine standards:
Length: nearly 5 miles (7 kms), 2 hours (additional)
Grade: strenuous

The Nine Standards is on the top of Hartley Fell. These large stone cairns, which are vissible from all over the upper Eden Valley, are well worth a closer look and the view you will see, on a clear day, across the beautiful Eden valley, is even better!

From both a safety and a scenic point of view it is best to choose a bright, clear day and bear in mind that the weather on the hills can be subject to dramatic changes. Misty conditions, particularly, should be avoided as it is very easy to get lost and the fells can be dangerous when you can't see where you are going.

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Ravenstonedale and Smardale

A walk with two nature reserves, three pubs, an ancient church and priory, a flower rich meadow, a meandering beck, Giant's Graves and a railway viaduct.

Brief route details:
Parking: space in front of Ravenstonedale School
Length: nearly 8 miles (12 kms), 3 - 5 hours
Grade: easy to moderate with some stiles

The route can be walked in two halves - north and south of the village. The south route takes you to the Fat Lamb Country Hotel where there is access to the Crossbank Nature Reserve (and bird hide). The north route crosses fields to Smardale Bridge and Smardale viaduct and returns on the disused railway line.

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Church Brough, Great Musgrave and Brough Sowerby

This walk takes you through an ancient farmed landscape, with two churches, a Norman castle, a river, a pub, a castellated folly, and has stunning views every step of the way.

Brief route details:
Parking: village square at Church Brough
Length: nearly 7 miles (10 kms), 3 - 4 hours
Grade moderate with some stiles

Brough Castle is open all year round and the entry is free

St Michael's Church is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm.

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Appleby-in-Westmorland, Hoff and Great Ormside

A walk with a castle, two churches, two rivers, two water mills, a waterfall and magnificent views. The return path follows the river Eden and takes you through several woodlands before crossing the river by Jubilee Bridge.

Brief route details:
Parking: car park off Chapel Street
Length: 7 miles (11 kms), 3 - 5 hours
Grade: easy to moderate with some stiles and kissing gates

Close to Jubilee Bridge, the 'Primrose Stone' carved by sculptor Joss Smith, is one of the sculpture in the Eden Benchmark series. Appleby Castle is not open to the public.

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Crosby Ravensworth and Maulds Meaburn

A walk with a church, a ruined 14th century tower house, lost villages, heather moors and woodland, and the source of the river Lyvennet. This walk can be split into halves, each beginning from Crosby Ravensworth church.

Brief route details
Northern route:
Parking: parking alongside the road near the church
Length: nearly 4 miles (5.5 kms), 2 - 3 hours
Grade moderate with some stiles

Southern route:
Parking: parking alongside the road near the church
Length: nearly 6 miles (10 kms), 4 hours
Grade: strenuous

The southern section of our route is more demanding, particularly where it traverses the heather moor to Black Dub Monument.

From both a safety and a scenic point of view it is best to choose a bright, clear day and bear in mind that the weather on the hills can be subject to dramatic changes. Misty conditions, particularly, should be avoided as it is very easy to get lost and the fells can be dangerous when you can't see where you are going.

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Shap and Rosgill

This walk takes you through cattle country, with the river Lowther, mysterious earthworks, standing stones, ruins of an Abbey, and spectacular views of the Lake District mountains.

Brief route details:
Parking: public car park next to Primary School
Length: nearly 5 miles (7.5 kms), 3 - 4 hours
Grade: moderate with some stone stiles

It may be advisable not to take dogs on this route as it involves traversing numerous high wall-stiles and there are herds of suckler cows and calves in many of the fields.

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Brougham and Eamont Bridge

This walk is close to the busy market town of Penrith and you can discover two rivers, a Roman fort, a castle, a fortified manor house, and two ancient henges.

Brief route details:
Parking: limited in layby near the Countess's Pillar (do not park beside A66)
Length: nearly 4 miles (6 kms), 3 hours
Grade: easy with half of the route on minor roads

This walk can be done from Penrith town centre and by using an underpass you do not need to cross the A66.

Brougham Castle is open from 1st April to 30th September daily from 10 am to 5 pm and from 1st to 31st October, Thursday to Monday, 10 am to 4 pm. There is an admission charge

Brougham Hall is usually open from 9 am to 6 pm, seven days a week, all year round. Admission is free but donations are welcome to help with restoration and upkeep.

Cromwellian Chapel is open only occassionally. Details on the Chapel gate or from the Rectory at Clifton.

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Lacy's Caves, Long Meg and her Daughters

A walk with a water mill, the river, a hermit's cave, a lost village, a church and a druid's circle.

Brief route details:
Parking: limited, considerate parking at Little Salkeld
Length: nearly 5 miles (7 kms), 2 - 3 hours
Grade: moderate with some stiles and hills

Little Salkeld Watermill is open daily from February to Christmas, 10.30am to 5pm. For more information about the tearoom, millshop and working mill click here.

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Wetheral and Cotehill

A walk with a priory gatehouse, ancient oaks, rolling farmland, the river Eden, extensive woodland and a monastic hiding place in a cliff.

Brief route details for main route:
Parking: alongside Wetheral village green
Length: nearly 7 miles (10 kms), 3 - 4 hours
Grade: moderate, some steep slopes and muddy surfaces in wet weather

A longer walk via Armathwaite
Total length: nearly 16 miles (25 kms), 7 - 10 hours (additional)
Grade: moderate

There are brief directions for the longer route and ECCP has undertaken substantial refurbishment work to the path and it is well way-marked. However the path returns across the impressive Wetheral Viaduct, 100 feet above river level, so do not attempt this longer route if you suffer from vertigo!

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Gelt Woods and Greenwell

This walk takes you in the footsteps of border raiders, with ancient woodland, a railway viaduct, ared sandstone gorge, a Roman quarry and a wild magical river.

Brief route details:
Parking: free car park at Low Gelt Bridge, just off A69 signposted to Hayton Town Head (8 miles east of Carlisle and 1.5 miles west of Brampton)
Length: 5 miles (8 kms), 2 - 3 hours
Grade: moderate some steep slopes and slippery stone surfaces

From Low Gelt Bridge there is a section of easy access footpath which leads to a birdhide overlooking the river Gelt.

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Carlisle and Wreay following the River Petteril

A walk in the footsteps of Romans and a 19th century industrialist, through a woodland nature reserve and on to a fascinating village with an unusual church.

Brief details for linear route:
The walk starts from near the Swallow Hilltop Hotel, just off London Road in Carlisle, which is accessible by public transport
Length: 3 miles (9.8 kms), 1 - 2 hours
Grade: easy to moderate with some stiles

Brief route details for Wreay extension:
Parking: the picnic area at Newbiggin Bridge, just south of the Golden Fleece roundabout
Length: approx 4 miles (13.9 kms) 2 - 3 hours (additional)
Grade: moderate with stiles

St Mary's Church, Wreay was built and paid for by local amateur architect, Sara Losh and is well worth a visit

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Holme Head and Dalston following the River Caldew

A walk with cotton and corn mills, a salmon-ladder, an historic village, and woodland rich with birdlife.

Brief route details:
Parking: limited, considerate parking at the far end of Boustead Grassing. Also possible to park in Denton Holme
Length: approx 8 miles (13 kms), 4 - 5 hours
Grade: moderate with level, easy access on outward route, return can be muddy with short steep sections, steps and stiles.

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Carlisle to Rockcliffe following the River Eden

This linear walk with Roman and railway history, a salmon fishery, a smuggling village, and marshland rich with birdlife.

Brief route details for main route:
Demense Marsh is subject to tidal flooding and should be avoided at periods of high tides.
Parking: Bitts Park pay and display car park, Carlisle
Length: 8 miles (12.9 kms), 4 - 5 hours
Allow an additional 90 minutes for the marsh extension.
Total length: approx 11 miles (18 kilometres)
From Rockcliffe, bus service 101 returns to Carlisle via Cargo and Stanwix.

To download or browse through this walk booklet click here

Gelt Woods

For some years now, ECCP have managed Gelt Woods in partnership with Brampton Parish Council. One feature of Gelt Woods is that visitors enjoy and cherish its varied birdlife. However, there have never been any hides in the wood to give a better look at the birds.

Bird hides
When local Cumbrian company Grampus Heritage approached us with the idea of reconstructing some traditional 'Celtic-style' round houses, we put the two ideas together to build two fantastic unusual new bird hides. As Gelt Woods is twinned with the Poiplie nature reserve on the Ipel river in Slovakia, young people from both communities have worked together under the NELCA (Natural Ecosystems Local Community Actions) programme to create the bird hides. They even built one in Slovakia during which they learned about each other's lives and environments.

Sculpture
Vivien Mousdell has created a beautiful sculpture seat, from which you can see both the rock face and the river. The site inspired her to use Taoist texts on the sculpture, and as it is made from local red sandstone and oak timber, it fits in beautifully with the sustainable theme for the whole of the project.
Leaflet available on request click here.

To preview leaflet click here